Services for children and young people

Depending on your child or young person's area of need, there are a wide range of services in Hertfordshire that can help.

Help using general services

Services which anybody can go to, by walking in off the street, or speaking to a professional at a place of education, are called universal services. When you have an additional need, you may need extra, or different help to use these services.

Your doctor (or GP) can give you advice or refer you to more specialist services. You can ask your doctor about getting a community paediatrician, or, if you are aged 14 or over with a learning disability you are entitled to free annual health checks.

Your dentist can refer a patient with additional needs to the special care dental service, if they can't use your local dentist.

Health Visitors offer confidential health advice and support to Hertfordshire residents, from pregnancy right through to your little one turning 5 years old.

The School Nursing service supports children's physical and emotional wellbeing whilst they are in mainstream education (aged 5-19).

DCOs help health professionals and the local authority work together to make sure that children and young people with SEND have the right health support to be the best they can be. If you need to contact them for advice, please email hct.dcohertfordshire@nhs.net.

When your young person is in education, their setting is often the way to get support and services in place to support their development. Education providers have a responsibility to give your child the support they need to achieve.

As your child gets older, the way they manage their health will be different. This page has information and advice to help you and your young person prepare for this transition.

Clinics offer a free and confidential service to everyone.

We created this area of the website with help from a parent representative from Herts Parent Carer Involvement.